A few weeks back, we brought you the story of a 1979 Pontiac 10th Anniversary Trans Am that was still at the dealership that had taken delivery of the car when new. The car had never been sold, never been titled, and showed just 6.7 miles on the odometer.

The dealership was Kitterman Motor Company of Corydon, Indiana, which had been family-owned for decades and had remained a small-town dealership for that entire time. After running the story, we received quite a bit of feedback, including a number of responses from residents of the area who remembered the car, many stating that it had been in that showroom as long as they could remember.

Indeed, as more feedback came in, it seemed as though the car was something of a local celebrity, and many responders mentioned daydreaming of cruising the Anniversary model through town with the T-tops out and the stereo cranked, living out their versions of the all-American teenage fantasy.

Sadly, Kitterman Motor Company had come to the end of the road, and its assets were to be sold off at auction, a sale handled by Beckort Auctions and highlighted by the Trans Am. Speculators ran hot and cold, with some feeling that the car, even in perfect condition, wasn’t worth all that much. We looked through our sources and came up with a top condition value of somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000-$50,000, which took into account the “T/A 6.6″ engine, a Pontiac 400 as opposed to the “6.6-Litre” Olds 403 that was more common; the Pontiac also mandated a four-speed manual in 1979. Our estimate did not, however, account for the extreme originality of this particular car, or the fact that there were so few miles.

In the end, the auction managed to draw $85,000 for the showroom ‘Bird, the high bid coming from an as-yet unnamed buyer who is reportedly a resident of the Hoosier state himself. Perhaps local fans of the T/A will take solace in knowing that the car will being staying in Indiana, and at that price, it’s likely that the car’s condition will be well preserved. For more information on the sale, go to www.beckortauctions.com. You can also see a video of the Trans Am sale, shot by YouTuber jstepro below.

Having been in the selling stuff for profit business all my life, I can tell you, a thing is worth what one can get for it. Ignorant is calling another a “moron” for being able to do what he wants………..and your appraisal credentials came from?????

Where you live teachers might make that kind of money but don’t move to rural America and plan on earning that kind of money teaching K-12. Administration might hit that number but not rank and file in the classroom. Retirements are being torn to pieces during the current economy and how states have overspent their income. That is reality. Farmers unless they are farming thousands of acres do not make that kind of money from their bottom line. How can I say this? My wife taught for 32 years, has a PhD and never came near $100,000. Scale in this area is not near that number even now. Our 240 acre farm nets $25,000 in a good year. Think about that reality in an area like Croyden.

Not in rural mid America. Perhaps administrators but not K-12. Retirement???? With all the states about bankrupt retirement systems are on the brink of insolvency, Can only wish my wife made that kind of money teaching Jr. H.S. Math. She has a PhD and is not close to $100,000 per year after 32 years.

Bill,
A car is worth what someone is willing to pay, you also have to
put into consideration that it only has 7 miles. Is a Dodge really worth 1 billion dollars. If I had the money, it would be worth that much to me, being a Pontiac guy. It will be original only once in
it’s life.

Other people have mentioned it here, but it’s worth repeating: The car is worth whatever the buyer wants to pay for it.

Maybe the guy came of age when this thing was new, and always wanted one. Maybe the buyer is viewing it solely as an investment, and will flip it for a profit.

Either way, who cares? I envy anyone who can drop $85K on a car, any car. Nicely done, I say.

When I was in high school in the early ’80′s, there was a kid in my school whose father bought him one of these. Exact same model, color, everything. While I liked the car, I was always amazed that a parent would buy a teenage boy a car like that. Why not just give him a shot-gun & a case of whisky, while you’re at it….

At that selling price, you can be sure the buyer has no intention of driving it.
Outside of inflation, I can’t see it ever selling for more than that either. It had 32 years to gestate and in another ten years, there will be way fewer people that care about this car.
Notice how much arm twisting it took just to get the bids to increase from 70K to 85K.

Why would you say in 10 years no one will care? Would you have said that about a 1969 model year car 10 years ago?
An enthusiast for a particular vehicle does not lose that enthusiasm simply because time has passed.
It has been well pointed out that any vehicle is worth what a buy is willing to pay.
I also say that any car is the property of the owner and no one has any right to tell him or her what to do with it or should do with it.
It’s not all about getting a return on an investment.
A perfect case in point is the one (of two) original 1968 Bullitt Mustangs. It is well known that the current owner has owned it for just over 30 years. He bought it not because of any particular love of Mustangs, but for the fact that it had movie significance.
It’s his, and from what I know, around 10 years ago was going to allow his son to bring the car back to life.
The same could be said of this Firebird. We have no business in guessing why the buyer bought it or saying what he should do.

And what is your point Cord Pilot? Auctions are great entertainment. Some items go for less than they are worth on the open market, some go for what is considered average price and some for more than they “should.” The buyer wanted it for what ever reason. He bid how much it is “worth” to him. The price bid is nothing more or less than that not how much you Tom, Dick or Harry would pay.

I would like to think that the buyer of this RARE and beautiful car viewed the car in its showroom state over the years/decades, dreaming that one day it may be for sale and that he/she could afford to buy it. Perhaps he or she first viewed it as a teenager on the way to school and drooled through that dealership window. If this is the case, this person has realised the dream of a lifetime and will never sell this beautiful peice of history. Cars are only original once, and this T/A is a classic example of that. Well done and the very best of fortune to you, whoever you are!

I was there. Shot the video seen above. I grew up in Corydon and happened to be in town visiting family. Back in the day, I remember seeing the car in the showroom as I went by on the way to school. It was a real fixture in the community.

It was a real treat to be there and yet sad all at the same time. It was like a funeral in the showroom with people shuffling by the car.
The stuff out back on pallets was just amazing. Original NOS parts. Lots of manuals.

My father has a 10th anniversary 4 speed Trans Am with only 4 miles on it.
Never registered , no dealer prep.
Carpeting covered with GM packaging
Window Sticker still on
Front Spoiler never installed ( still in back seat in plastic)
Same as it left the factory